Spring construction



Aug. 17, 1937. HlATT 2,090,295

SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 50, 1955 l INVENTOR. Hayden H. Hz'aff BYMM A Z'a/m/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATEfi PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to spring construction that is especially adaptedfor davenports, easy chairs, and the like.

More particularly the principal objects of my invention are to provide aresilient bottom that will prevent the spring construction from saggingbut not interfere with its comfort, and to provide a spring constructionthat utilizes the strength of woven metal strips but so constructingsuch a spring bottom that it will not squeak.

Another object is to provide means for preventing the woven metal stripsfrom slipping laterally.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

Figure 1 is an underneath plan View, partly broken away, showing adavenport spring construction comprising an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, broken section, taken along the line 22 ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the reference numeral 3designates generally an open frame in which an embodiment of myinvention is mounted. Cross members 4 are provided in the frame forrigidity. The cross members and the frame define generally the spacesfor supporting cushions of a davenport.

Extending from side to side and from end to end within the frame 3 aretransverse and longitudinal metal bands or strips respectively indicatedby the characters 5 and 6. The bands are interwoven, as will be morefully explained hereinafter.

Apertured plates 8 mount the metal bands within the frame 3, through theintermediary of helical springs 1. Each plate is driven into an innerface of the frame and held in place by a nail 9 driven through anaperture of the plate, as indicated in Figure 2.

One end of each helical spring is hooked through another opening in theadjacent apertured plate 8, and the other end of the spring is hookedthrough an opening adjacent the end of the metal strip supportedthereby, as also suggested in Figure 2.

The front of the davenport has been indicated by the arrow I0. At saidfront side, the helical springs are omitted, whereby to maintain thefront of the davenport approximately vertical at all times. The ends ofthe metal strips at the front side have shown Figure 2 as being held inplace by a nail II and a staple I2. It is to be understood that otherfastening means may be employed. 5

Supported by the interwoven metal strips is a bottom member I4 for thedavenport. This bottom member comprises a sheet I5 of flexible materialcovered by a fabric I6. The sheet I5 may be of pressed, fibrousmaterial, such as card- 0 board, composition, or the like, and thefabric is preferably burlap or other coarse fabric. The fabric is shownin the drawing as covering both the top and bottom surfaces of the sheetIS; in fact, is shown as a bag completely enveloping the sheet I5.

The bottom member is provided with a plurality of pairs of slits I1 andI8. The pairs of slits I! and I8 are alternately transverse andlongitudinal of the frame respectively. The metal 20 strips 6 and 5 arerespectively threaded through the slits I1 and I8. At each point wherethe interwoven strips 5 and 6 cross each other, the combined thicknessof the sheet I5 and its top and bottom fabric coverings I6 is betweenthe. overlapping portions of the strips, as best shown in Figure 2.

Coiled springs I9 are mounted upon the bottom member I4. Conventionaltying cords 20 are employed to tie the several coiled springs togetherand to the frame 3. It will be noted that a coiled spring I9 is placedat each overlapping of the metal strips 5 and 6. The lowermost turn 2|of each coiled spring is caught under the fabric covering on top of thesheet I5. The broken away portion of Figure 1 shows that turn 2| of thecoil is threaded 1n and out of said fabric, in order to obtain a firmfoothold without the necessity of sewing.

In the use of a davenport, easy chair, or the like, embodying my springconstruction, the overlapping portions of the metal strips will notsqueak, due to the interposition of the sheet I5 and its fabriccovering.

By my spring construction, the durability, strength and non-saggingfeatures of metal strips are utilized with the noiselessness of fabricwebbing. Moreover, the comfort is not in any way interfered with, andthe metal strips will not slip laterally. 50

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course,subject to modifications in numerous ways without departing from thespirit of my invention. I, there- 55 fore, do not wish to restrictmyself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described,but desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In furniture spring construction, the combination of a frame, metalstrips arranged within the frame, a comparatively stiff bottom member, afabric covering for the bottom member, the bottom member and the fabriccovering having coinciding slits, the strips being interwoven with thebottom member and its said covering at said slits, and a series ofcoiled springs interwoven in the said covering, the bottom memberseparating the springs from the strips, whereby to eliminate squeaking,the fabric being held in place by being interwoven with the strips andthe fabric in turn holding the springs in place.

2. In furniture spring construction, a frame, overlapping metal stripsarranged longitudinally and transversely within the frame, acomparatively stiff bottom member provided with slits that extendtransversely and longitudinally with respect to the frame, the stripsbeing interwoven in said slits, and the bottom member being disposedbetween overlapping portions of the strips, the longitudinal stripsbeing interwoven in the transverse slits and the transverse strips beinginterwoven in the longitudinal slits, whereby to prevent the bottommember from slipping either transversely or longitudinally, and thecomparative stiffness of the bottom member tending to maintain theoverlapping portions of the strips inth'eir respective positions.

3. In furniture spring construction, a frame, metal strips arrangedlongitudinally and trans versely within the frame, whereby they overlap,a comparatively stiif sheet, fabric covering for the top and bottomsurfaces of the sheet, the sheet and fabric having coinciding slits,certain of the slits being at an angle to other slits, the metal stripsbeing woven respectively through the slits that extend at an angle toeach other, whereby to hold the sheet against slipping in either of twodirections, the sheet and the fabric covering being disposed betweenoverlapping portions of the metal strips, the sheet providingcomparative rigidity to the spring construction and the fabric coveringreducing friction between the metal strips and the stiffener.

4. In a spring construction, the combination of a frame, overlappingmetal strips arranged within the frame, resilient means supporting thestrips within the frame, a bottom member comprising a comparativelystiff sheet of material and a fabric covering the bottom member havingslits in the planes of the strips, the strips being woven in and out ofsaid slits in such a manner that the strips are respectively above andbelow portions of the bottom member at the overlapping portions of thestrips, and a series of coiled springs mounted on the bottom member.

5. Spring construction of the character described, comprising a frame,metal strips arranged longitudinally and transversely within the frame,resilient means supporting the strips within the frame, a, comparativelystiff but flexible bottom member having series of slits arranged inpairs, adjacent pairs of the slits being oppositely arranged, and thestrips being woven in'andout through the slits, and springs mounted onthe bottom member.

6. Spring construction of the character described, comprising a frame,metal strips arranged within the frame, a pressed cardboard bottommember, a burlap bag enveloping the cardboard, the cardboard and burlapbag having coinciding slits, the strips being woventhrough said slits,

and springs mounted on the bottom member, the,

bottom member separating the metal strips from each other and separatingthe springs from the strips.

7. In furniture spring construction, the combi, nation of a frame, metalstrips resiliently supported within the frame, a bottom elementcomprising a comparatively stiff member and a fabric top covering forsaid member, the bottom element

